An earth-boring tool includes a tool body having an aperture therein defining a nozzle port, a nozzle or nozzle assembly disposed in the nozzle port, and a shape memory material disposed adjacent a surface of at least one component of the nozzle or nozzle assembly. The shape memory material retains at least one component of the nozzle or nozzle assembly by a threadless connection. The threadless connection includes mechanical interference between the shape memory material, the at least one component of the nozzle or nozzle assembly, and the tool body or another component of the nozzle or nozzle assembly. The shape memory material is formulated and configured to transform from a first phase and a first shape upon heating and to transform from a second phase and a second shape upon cooling.

A drill bit for a drill includes at least one flute having a rake face including a flute edge and at least one cutting edge having a profile that extends along at least a portion of a length of the cutting edge, the rake face extending from the cutting edge. A chip breaker formed in the rake face, the chip breaker being a continuous groove located adjacent the cutting edge, the groove having a starting end and an exit end opening into the flute edge, the starting end having a depth that is less than a depth of the exit end of the groove, wherein a shape of the groove at the starting end is different from a shape of the groove at the exit end.

The present invention relates to inserts for hard facing substrates, and a method for hard facing substrates. An insert according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise a body of ultra-hard material having a welding node located on a first surface thereof and at least one wire electrically connecting the first surface to a second, opposite, surface. In use, the inserts may be temporarily connected to a substrate by applying a resistance welding electrode to the welding node, thereby causing the wires on the second surface to melt and weld the insert to the substrate. A subsequent brazing step may firmly attach the inserts to the substrate.

Catalyst extraction from polycrystalline diamond table may be achieved by treating with a halogen (in the gas phase or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent) to convert the catalyzing material to a salt. Then, polar organic solvents may optionally be used to leach the salt from the polycrystalline diamond table. The polycrystalline diamond (with the salt of the catalyzing material present or at least partially leached therefrom) may be brazed to a hard composite substrate to produce a cutter suitable for use in a matrix drill bit.

A bit for drilling with a casing or liner string includes: a tubular stem made from a high strength metal or alloy; a head: having a cutting face with an inner cone, an outer shoulder, and an intermediate nose between the cone and the shoulder; attached to an end of the stem; and made from a nonferrous metal or alloy; a plurality of blades formed integrally with the head, made from the nonferrous metal or alloy, and each extending from a center of the cutting face to the shoulder; a plurality of superhard cutters mounted along each blade; a plurality of gauge pads formed integrally with the stem; and a flush joint formed between each blade and a respective gauge pad. A yield strength of the high strength metal or alloy is at least twice a yield strength of the nonferrous metal or alloy.

A chromium-free, distributed hardfacing disposable on a surface of a wellsite component is disclosed. The hardfacing includes a metal filler (e.g., nickel) and particles distributed about the filler. The particles include pellets made of tungsten carbide and pieces made of angular molybdenum carbide. The pieces are smaller than the pellets for distribution in the filler between the pellets whereby a uniform distribution of particles is provided about the filler.

A method of making a cutting element for use on an earth-boring tool may include forming the cutting element including a cutting table formed from a superabrasive polycrystalline material. The method may further include polishing a cutting surface of the cutting table by pulsing a laser onto the cutting surface of the cutting table. The cutting element may include a superabrasive polycrystalline cutting table including a cutting surface substantially free of micro-anomalies in the superabrasive material.

A method includes disposing a braze material adjacent a first body and a second body; heating the braze material and forming a transient liquid phase; and transforming the transient liquid phase to a solid phase and forming a bond between the first body and the second body. The braze material includes copper, silver, zinc, magnesium, and at least one material selected from the group consisting of nickel, tin, cobalt, iron, phosphorous, indium, lead, antimony, cadmium, and bismuth.

Methods for welding a particle-matrix composite body to another body and repairing particle-matrix composite bodies are disclosed. Additionally, earth-boring tools having a joint that includes an overlapping root portion and a weld groove having a face portion with a first bevel portion and a second bevel portion are disclosed. In some embodiments, a particle-matrix bit body of an earth-boring tool may be repaired by removing a damaged portion, heating the particle-matrix composite bit body, and forming a built-up metallic structure thereon. In other embodiments, a particle-matrix composite body may be welded to a metallic body by forming a joint, heating the particle-matrix composite body, melting a metallic filler material forming a weld bead and cooling the welded particle-matrix composite body, metallic filler material and metallic body at a controlled rate.

A method includes disposing a braze material between a first body and a second body. The braze material includes a first composition and a second composition. The second composition has a melting point higher than the first composition. The braze material may be heated to a brazing temperature between the melting points of the first and second materials and maintaining the braze material at the brazing temperature for a period of time to transform a transient liquid phase to a solid phase, forming a bond between the first body and the second body. A braze material for securing solid bodies includes a first composition and a second composition. The first composition includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium. An earth-boring tool includes a first body, a second body, and a braze material bonding the second body to the first body.